Okay, gang, here it is. Yup, it's a Matorro KT and as you can see I've torn it down, primed and re-applied the paint job a la Ardennes '44. I haven't really started weathering yet although I did apply a very ligth water color slury wash to bring out the hatch lines.

This is were you guys come in! HELP! Need some tips on weathering and battle damage. Also, anyone stenciled their hull numbers over zimm yet?? I'll listen to any and all advice.

Now, a quick review of the Matorro KT. Whata pig! Ya'll weren't kidding when you said she dies under her own weight! No torque at all coming out of those obviously under powered motors and barely makes it across carpeting - hate to see it outside! I'll be visiting the vendor sites tonite and ordering up some upgrades for this old gal.

I'll post more pics as I go along

PAX

Lookin Good!

As for stencil over zim....good luck. I use wet slide decals and microsolve followed by Decal Set. By the time you take the effort for stencil you could already be out running the tank.

Weathering is the best part. Go where the dirt goes. Baby powder, matte coat, and some earthy paint make great fine grained mud.

But if your KT was in the Bulge I think the ground was to frozen to make much mud. I could be wrong. I would weather just a bitin the running gear.

The turret and upper hull would have been scratched up by all the branches they went through.

There are tons of ways to do it but mine is to make fine sratches with the tanks base coat: dots and dashes. Then on the lighter colors I do the same but with one of my earth tones. Every now and then I might do one with the real tanks prinmer color


Don

I've stenciled on top of Zim twice. I just cut out the numbers from a decal sheet, and taped them together. Use an airbrush with very low pressure, and mix your paint very thick. I've had good results with Yellow.

Tank zone sells a stencil template, but have been out of stock for some time. It isn't cheap.

I've also tried hand painting the numbers on, but it is very difficult to get a uniform line on the zimmerit. I usually make a stencil for the balkenkreutz and then add the white outline by hand.

Good luck.

If you want to detail kit up, it has same dimensions as Tamiya 1/1/ KT, so most accesories will work. Ipacts photo etch set will fit, and deck grilles look good on it.

Hang on a minute. I have to see if I can find them, but one company offers decals made for zim. Okay I'm off to look.


Don

Rats!!! Only in 1/35 scale. Oh well back to the drawing board!


Don

Big Roj on that. I've been cruising the net trying to find a set of tow cable clamps/holders for the side cables. Found a couple but looking at 90 plus clams! Also going to plus up on some of the other goodies too.

Eventually this will be an entirely different tank with all the exterior pieces and new hardware inside....

PAX